Preview — The Sun and Her Flowers
by Rupi Kaur

The Sun and Her Flowers

From Rupi Kaur, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of milk and honey, comes her long-awaited second collection of poetry. A vibrant and transcendent journey about growth and healing. Ancestry and honoring one’s roots. Expatriation and rising up to find a home within yourself.

Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wFrom Rupi Kaur, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of milk and honey, comes her long-awaited second collection of poetry. A vibrant and transcendent journey about growth and healing. Ancestry and honoring one’s roots. Expatriation and rising up to find a home within yourself.

Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. A celebration of love in all its forms.

this is the recipe of lifesaid my motheras she held me in her arms as i wept think of those flowers you plantin the garden each year they will teach youthat people toomust wiltfallrootrisein order to bloom...more

Reader Q&A

KittenI do not exactly disagree with Cecelia. There were some themes in this book that were not addressed in "Milk and Honey", but personally, I still found…moreI do not exactly disagree with Cecelia. There were some themes in this book that were not addressed in "Milk and Honey", but personally, I still found them very similar. Both focus very much on love and abuse (in relationships), but this one's main theme seems to be self-growth (not necessarily connected to "overcoming" past abuse and trauma). So, yes, very similar, but not identical.(less)

KittenI'd say that it can be read by anyone who is able to deal with topics like abuse and rape. I am in my early twenties and I feel like this would be a…moreI'd say that it can be read by anyone who is able to deal with topics like abuse and rape. I am in my early twenties and I feel like this would be a very good time to read it (since many women my age have experienced various of the things Kaur addresses), but of course it can be read by teenagers (and also older people) as well.(less)

Community Reviews

I don't know where to begin. Listen, as a brown woman of course I gave Rupi a try - that's what we brown girls do, we hold each other up and support each other like crazy because who else will? However, I think we should also be able to speak up when the work just doesn't cut it. Being critical is simply tough love - so don't be so quick to dismiss my negative feeback.

First of all, half of this book are one-liners from her first book, and most of her longer pieces felt lazy and ill-thought out.I don't know where to begin. Listen, as a brown woman of course I gave Rupi a try - that's what we brown girls do, we hold each other up and support each other like crazy because who else will? However, I think we should also be able to speak up when the work just doesn't cut it. Being critical is simply tough love - so don't be so quick to dismiss my negative feeback.

First of all, half of this book are one-liners from her first book, and most of her longer pieces felt lazy and ill-thought out. I found myself skipping/ losing interest through most of them. Furthermore, I just can't ignore the more popular pieces she has claimed as her own when any avid reader can tell you they are not.

"If you got any more beautifulthe sun would leave its placeand come for you"

- rupi kaur

“Had I told the seaWhat I felt for you,It would have left its shores,Its shells,Its fish,And followed me.”

― Nizar Qabbani

(Many of you have messaged be about the difference between plagiarism and inspiration, and this is my take on it:

If ms. kaur is attempting to give a voice to women through her work, which she claims she is doing, then she should also acknowledge everyone who has "inspired" her. The debate her isn't whether she's a good poet or not, but if she has any integrity....which she clearly doesn't. Many women of color writers, specifically black women writers, have been silenced by her.

This is the same woman who "wrote" the following:

"I am the product of all the ancestorsgetting together and deciding these stories need to be told"

???? How??? By erasing them? By taking their words and signing your name underneath them?

and my favorite,

"never trade honesty for relatability"

Congrats y'all, she played you.)

The pieces speaking about some of the hardest topics seem so surface level, I felt wrong reading it. I would never give this to my daughter. Not to mention the randomly sprinkled poems talking about her being an immigrant, all of them felt so out of place and awkward next to her other pieces.

Anyways, I could go on and on about how much her work mirrors the work of lesser-known authors, but I think most readers already know this. I feel let down and embarrassed by this author and would never recommend it to anyone. I can only hope she grows up one day and finally finds her voice....more

I never read Milk & Honey. It just seemed like such a fad thing, I had no interest in it. I tend to prefer traditional poetry. It's just my inner English major coming out I suppose! That being said, I enjoyed this more than I had expected. I didn't love the whole thing, but there were some poems that I really loved. The poetic style is quite simplistic and some quotes I felt like were reworded versions of things I've seen be*Thank you so much to Indigo for surprising me with a copy of this!*

I never read Milk & Honey. It just seemed like such a fad thing, I had no interest in it. I tend to prefer traditional poetry. It's just my inner English major coming out I suppose! That being said, I enjoyed this more than I had expected. I didn't love the whole thing, but there were some poems that I really loved. The poetic style is quite simplistic and some quotes I felt like were reworded versions of things I've seen before. But, I liked the fact that this collection dealt with femininity, immigration, and self love. The topics were well developed and the poems were short, but packed a punch. Not sure if I'll now pick up Milk & Honey. We'll see!...more

This review was brought to you by the best Real Housewives gifs on giphy.com.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of Rupi Kaur's milk and honey; HOWEVER, being the forgiving person that I am, I have decided to give her work a second chance.

Warning: The gifs you are about to see are real reactions to the poems I just read.

Alrighty, here we go:

i live for that first second in the morningwhen i am still half-consciousi hear the hummingbirds outsideflirting with the flowersi hear the flowerThis review was brought to you by the best Real Housewives gifs on giphy.com.

Let me start off by saying that I am not a fan of Rupi Kaur's milk and honey; HOWEVER, being the forgiving person that I am, I have decided to give her work a second chance.

Warning: The gifs you are about to see are real reactions to the poems I just read.

Alrighty, here we go:

i live for that first second in the morningwhen i am still half-consciousi hear the hummingbirds outsideflirting with the flowersi hear the flowers gigglingand the bees growing jealouswhen I turn over to wake youit starts all over againthe pantingthe wailingthe shockof realizingthat you've left

- the first morning without you

Just adding my unwanted two cents and personal preference here, but I would have been good had she stopped after 'and the bees growing jealous'. The last chunk of this poem just made me cringe and it also ruined the initial emotion I felt while reading the first half.

---

Next up, buttercup:

i envy the windswho still witness you

Been dur, done dat. How is this original? I bet Atticus would love this one.

You know what? I've made a grave mistake in reading this. This isn't my preferred cup of tea.

---

The end is nigh:

amanwho cries

- a gift

I came. I saw. I conquered.

---

It's over, finished, done, finito, caput. Welp, that was definitely better than milk and honey. NOT! But in all honesty, none of her poems really left an impression on me. There were a few "poems" that I liked, but I've already forgotten them. Also, I thought this collection was meant to empower women? Majority of her poems came across as emotionally insecure and overly clichéd.

Here is why I have a problem with her work: corresponding imagery is nice to look at once in a while, but I picked this up to be moved by her WORDS. If I wanted a picture book, then I'd go out and buy one. I found the artwork in this unnecessary, and I wasn't impressed with the stick people drawings.

Also, I think modern poets tend to forget how impactful the use of punctuation can be for a reader. Create a tonality with your words and format your stanzas with stylistic elements. Unfortunately, this whole book was very dull and very monotone.

It is nice to see a young Canadian poet establish herself--don't get me wrong! And my heart goes out to Ms. Kaur after reading about some of the horrific situations she underwent. That being said, I still think her work is overhyped and resembles little fluffs of nothing. If you enjoyed this then no hard feelings. But no more chances and no more modern poetry for me. I mean it. (that's probably a lie)

god must have kneaded you and ifrom the same doughrolled us out on the baking sheetmust have suddenly realizedhow unfair it wasto put that much magic in one personand sadly split that dough in twohow else is it thatwhen i look in the mirrori am looking at youwhen you breathemy own lungs fill with airthat we just met but wehave known each other our whole livesif we were not made as one to begin with

These stories/ poems are heartfelt... rupi kaur is a lovely gift to the world.

“for so long i was lost in a place where there was no sun, where there grew no flowers. but something i loved would emerge and bring me to life again”.

I love “Milk and Honey”... and I equally love “the sun and her flowers”. The one complaint is that I wanted to buy this bookBeautiful... The range of emotions are all felt ... sadness, anger, loss, grief, pride, guilt, fear, nervousness, shame, joy, surprise, love ....

These stories/ poems are heartfelt... rupi kaur is a lovely gift to the world.

“for so long i was lost in a place where there was no sun, where there grew no flowers. but something i loved would emerge and bring me to life again”.

I love “Milk and Honey”... and I equally love “the sun and her flowers”. The one complaint is that I wanted to buy this book in a hard copy - so far it’s only come out in a paper copy.

This long-awaited second collection of poetry by Rupi Kaur made waves; it was a ride brimming with of every kind of emotion imaginable. Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a vibrant and transcendent journey about growth and healing. Ancestry and honoring one’s roots. Expatriation and rising up to find a home within yourself.

Kaur's voice is as audacious and brave as ever. She nails to perfection the specific intimate details that made her writing so achiThis long-awaited second collection of poetry by Rupi Kaur made waves; it was a ride brimming with of every kind of emotion imaginable. Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a vibrant and transcendent journey about growth and healing. Ancestry and honoring one’s roots. Expatriation and rising up to find a home within yourself.

Kaur's voice is as audacious and brave as ever. She nails to perfection the specific intimate details that made her writing so achingly real in milk and honey. We have poems exploring self-love, self-hate, body-image, girls supporting girls, motherly love, feminism, insecurity, sexual assault, and so much more. I read through it in a whirlwind. I barely put it down, and it was so short I didn't even have to.

The author's smart, poised, and down-to-earth writing oozes inspiration. And I'm beyond eager to share some of my favorite pieces:

I'll never grow tired of reading Kaur's passionate words. And I hope there's more and more to wait for in the future, regarding her poetry.

Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buyingThe Sun and Her Flowers, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!

Wow. Let me say I had low expectations going into this, but I was so wrong. Backstory: I'm not a fan of milk & honey. It's not a style I enjoy at all, and the entire book just felt too Tumblr and cheesy and simplistic. this blew me away. it's so different, fresh, and jaw-dropping.

it’s interesting to see how her writing has grown and evolved. there are very few short poems (unlike m&h), which i was thankful for, because in m&h it seemed like she would just write sentences wit4.5 Stars

Wow. Let me say I had low expectations going into this, but I was so wrong. Backstory: I'm not a fan of milk & honey. It's not a style I enjoy at all, and the entire book just felt too Tumblr and cheesy and simplistic. this blew me away. it's so different, fresh, and jaw-dropping.

it’s interesting to see how her writing has grown and evolved. there are very few short poems (unlike m&h), which i was thankful for, because in m&h it seemed like she would just write sentences with skips in it, then label them poetry, and i really hated that style. however, this utilized a lot of longer poems and metaphor and personification of nature, and although it’s still not my favorite style, it’s gotten so much better.

This book was just so much more personal. m&h felt like a ton of blanket statements and tumblr posts, but this one had quotes that actually made me sit back and go “whoa.”

“i even tried to bury myself alivebut the dirt recoiledyou have already rotted it saidthere is nothing left for me to do- self-hate”

AMAZING.

This book adds on an entire section about immigration and refugees, and I thought it was new and powerful as opposed to only talking about feminism, the body, and self-love. also, brown girls NEED to pick up this book. there is so much positivity and messages about acceptance of your skin.

i will say, if you decide to pick this up, don't give up hope until you reach part 2. The whole first part seems like it was a step back from milk & honey? milk and honey was so feminist and focused on recovery and self-love and some of the poems in the first part were like “TELL ME I’M PRETTY I NEED VALIDATION” and stuff like that and I was like ??????? It started out really weak but definitely got better.

Lastly, another thing I wasn’t a huge fan of is none of her poems use punctuation. She had some longer poems unlike anything she had in m&h, but most of those just employed really long-winded run-on sentences and I wasn’t a huge fan of that style. Because of that, it was hard to tell sometimes when one poem ended and another begun because none were punctuated, some didn’t have titles, some were just one sentence, etc.

Regardless, I'm sorta speechless because I expected to hate this and I actually enjoyed it so much. Several of the poems gave me chills. If you gave up hope after milk & honey, definitely think about trying this from a library or something because it is a MAJOR improvement and I think its messages are valuable, and nothing about this feels like a regurgitation of a Tumblr post....more

This was really beautiful and brutal! I totally confess I haven't read poetry in like...forever. I'm kind of terrified of it?! I generally don't "get it" and spent my entire highschool life learning to sprint in order to get away from it. Tbh I'm a great sprinter now so things work out wow go me.

However, I really did want to give this a go when I was sent it for review and I'm really really glad I did! It's like so empowering and the words were pretty and like?!?? I think I really like this typThis was really beautiful and brutal! I totally confess I haven't read poetry in like...forever. I'm kind of terrified of it?! I generally don't "get it" and spent my entire highschool life learning to sprint in order to get away from it. Tbh I'm a great sprinter now so things work out wow go me.

However, I really did want to give this a go when I was sent it for review and I'm really really glad I did! It's like so empowering and the words were pretty and like?!?? I think I really like this type of poetry!

So I know nothing about poetry hhhaha. But I just liked how the words fit together in this collection. That seems like a weirdly simple thing to say?! But they fit SO NICELY. And I totally understand why this author is loved and famous!

+ THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS COLLECTION:• it's all about loss and growing and heartache and self-love• it's so powerful• so so feminist• there's a lot of dark themes here too• it talks a lot about depression and rape• it talks about immigration and representation• and there's a lot of sex• and a lot of flowers• and SUCH good but simple illustrations• honestly why aren't all books illustrated I would like this

OK so why not rate it higher?! There were a few things that didn't really work for me: (A) there's a lot of talk about sex and that's not my thing haha, (B) it talked a lot about adulthood and I'm allergic and, (C) it talks a lot about relationships and breakups and first love and like...I'm also allergic.

Otherwise?! It was really beautiful! Some of the poems SO stood out to me and I would love to read her first collection Milk and Honey now!! It's really empowering and beautiful about change and growing and healing and I LIKED THE WORDS.

this place makes methe kind of exhausted that hasnothing to do with sleepand everything to do with the people around me- introvert

representationis vitualotherwise the butterflysurrounded by a group of mothsunable to see itselfwill keep trying to become a moth

I want to thank Jon(athan) Nakapalau for recommending this poetry collection to me. I have never read something similar before. The only part that I did not enjoy was the first one. In general, it was a nice experience, and I will probably read her other collection too.

her 2nd book and still she has no grasp of poetic language. she writes aphorisms that people like because they're relateable, but they are intellectually and emotionally insincere. an excellent businesswoman but a terrible writer. I would suggest rupi actually sit down and read some poetry once in a while, but I doubt she'd bother with that. her illustrations are alright though.

i startedto read this hoping toenjoy it more than Milk and Honey butinstead i found it derivativei also question whetherrandombreaks insentences andno punctuation is equal topoetry

Some parts of this, like the things she wishes she could have told her mother on her wedding day and insights on immigration were thought provoking, but much of this felt like thoughts I’ve read many times elsewhere.

Here are three examples of that:you do not just wake up and become the butterfly

the right one does noti started to read this hoping to enjoy it more than Milk and Honey but instead i found it derivative i also question whether random breaks in sentences and no punctuation is equal to poetry

Some parts of this, like the things she wishes she could have told her mother on her wedding day and insights on immigration were thought provoking, but much of this felt like thoughts I’ve read many times elsewhere.

Here are three examples of that: you do not just wake up and become the butterfly

the right one does not stand in your way they make space for you to step forward

what is the greatest lesson a woman should learnthat since day one she’s already had everything she needs within herself it’s the world that convinced her she did not

This is akin to reading a teenager’s journal. Not that it’s bad, but rather a bit cliche and young. Also, the amount of time it took me to correct the computer and remove punctuation and add breaks in sentences was frustrating... and I’m pretty sure it still didn’t put my quotes as they appear in the book! (That is an explanation point for emphasis.) 2 stars!!...more

Rupi Kaur does it once again. Her poetry is blooming. Her words hit home as they always do. I mean, there's a reason why there's a surge in poetry books being sold now. She's the reason.

I love what she advocates in her poetry collections, what she stands for. How it is told in a format of stages, of growth. Following on from her previous collection (not that it is a sequel, but the format and themes are similar), the sun and her flowers is tackling the[Edit: had to change my rating to 5 stars]

Rupi Kaur does it once again. Her poetry is blooming. Her words hit home as they always do. I mean, there's a reason why there's a surge in poetry books being sold now. She's the reason.

I love what she advocates in her poetry collections, what she stands for. How it is told in a format of stages, of growth. Following on from her previous collection (not that it is a sequel, but the format and themes are similar), the sun and her flowers is tackling the root of our own emotions and suffering, to taking it in and accepting the people around us, our ancestors and our heritage, our immigrant parents, to ultimately establishing self-love. Yes, you do come first. You are important. I feel like it's a mantra in her poetry and I love that. It's beyond empowering!

As per her usual style, the poems are direct, simple, easy to grasp and full of passion. There are underlying layers and raw thoughts and emotions beneath those words that have me wanting to savour it, reread it. Annotate the whole book and find my own meaning within it. The illustrations truly make it come to life and paint a vivid picture and emotion inside you.

I can't wait to see what else she has in store! I know I can read her work over and over again!...more

i amstill not a fan of peoplewho use random linebreaks in otherwisesimple phrases andthink it'ssomehowgroundbreaking

I don't get it.

I feel like a total ass for hating this book because she covers some very personal and traumatic topics, but to me it just reads like she's trying too hard to be profound because everyone lost their shit over her first book (which I didn't particularly like either, because it was basically a tumblr dashboard), so it was like she had to outdo herself. Like m&h, thi amstill not a fan of peoplewho use random linebreaks in otherwisesimple phrases andthink it'ssomehowgroundbreaking

I don't get it.

I feel like a total ass for hating this book because she covers some very personal and traumatic topics, but to me it just reads like she's trying too hard to be profound because everyone lost their shit over her first book (which I didn't particularly like either, because it was basically a tumblr dashboard), so it was like she had to outdo herself. Like m&h, there were a few lovely nuggets in here, but it was long and drawn out, redundant, and it felt like she had a minimum page number she had to get to, and like another reviewer said, a lot of her content looks very familiar/like she paraphrased existing quotations and such already. The bad far outweighs the good.

I mean, I guess I can give her props for expanding beyond the tumblr one-liners, but even her longer poems I didn't like. She basically took a regular conversation, got rid of all capitalization, and added misplaced punctuation so it became sentence fragments.

Some of the illustrations are lovely. And then some are a bit perplexing (like the drawing of what I'm assuming was a woman going down on another woman under the poem talking about the moon and water. I definitely did not get that metaphor without the image). ...more

Am I reading this book bc my reading challenge is getting a little out of control??? Psshshhhhh no, of course not why would you think something so preposterous ????

Anyways so I read Milk and Honey last year and I sorta loved it and when I HEARD there was another one I was like yes this woman can write gimme some more

And that’s what this book isBut its better than milk and honey imo

why is it that when the story endswe begin to feel all of it

the illustrations are ABSOLUTELY perfection, I love tAm I reading this book bc my reading challenge is getting a little out of control??? Psshshhhhh no, of course not why would you think something so preposterous ????

Anyways so I read Milk and Honey last year and I sorta loved it and when I HEARD there was another one I was like yes this woman can write gimme some more

And that’s what this book isBut its better than milk and honey imo

why is it that when the story endswe begin to feel all of it

the illustrations are ABSOLUTELY perfection, I love them so much they add so much depth to the poems.

For all them haters who are like “these are just relatable tumblr posts that someone pressed the enter key too many times” well yes, you’re right BUT THEYRE BEAUTIFUL TOO

I love a lot of the concepts that are talked about. Love and acceptance and liberty and compassion, I think the author covered a whole lot of topics and translated them into such beautiful, beautiful, beautiful words like wow give me that talent lady where did you get it from

how do i shake this envywhen i see you doing well sister how do i love myself enough to know your accomplishments are not my failures - we are not each other’s competition

Just like a really inspiring, uplifting poem book that you can finish in 20 minutes do it for the challenge. there will be no quitters in this house

Heart breaking yet empowering - a woman's journey of growth - (wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming) as she comes to terms with her past, present and future. As a man this book touched me because I never was aware of all the different ways we try to make women conform to 'our' idea of what they should be. If you have a friend trying to put their life back together after a break up this book will help them focus on the path they need to take.

"i learned everything is temporary. moments. feelings. people. flowers. i learned love is about giving. everything. and letting it hurt. i learned vulnerability is always the right choice because it is easy to be cold in a world that makes it so very difficult to remain soft. i learned."

Beautiful book. Loved that there were longer pieces in this one and that the book was thicker in general. Wonderful illustrations as always though I have to say that since she has used drawings that were quite similar to some in her first book, I kinda got confused and thought for a moment that she has reused some of her old poems too. (I hope I make sense). Definitely gonna keep this book on my nightstand 😊⭐Beautiful book. Loved that there were longer pieces in this one and that the book was thicker in general. Wonderful illustrations as always though I have to say that since she has used drawings that were quite similar to some in her first book, I kinda got confused and thought for a moment that she has reused some of her old poems too. (I hope I make sense). Definitely gonna keep this book on my nightstand 😊⭐️...more

Rupi Kaur has again delivered a palpable collection of perspective on varying issues of significance that range from love to heartbreak and all the things in between. I leave this experience feeling grateful, beautiful, and incredibly empowered. I am in love with this woman's writing.

Note: There are a few repeated poems from Milk and Honey but much of this material felt very fresh.

My favorite quote: One of my many favorite poems:i reduced my body to aestheticsforgot the work it did to keep me aRupi Kaur has again delivered a palpable collection of perspective on varying issues of significance that range from love to heartbreak and all the things in between. I leave this experience feeling grateful, beautiful, and incredibly empowered. I am in love with this woman's writing.

Note: There are a few repeated poems from Milk and Honey but much of this material felt very fresh.

My favorite quote: One of my many favorite poems:i reduced my body to aestheticsforgot the work it did to keep me alivewith every beat and breathdeclared it a grand failure for not looking like theirssearched everywhere for a miraclefoolish enough to not realizei was already living in one...more

the lines of the poems were much longer than milk and honey’s and the poems overall were longer(sometimes too long)which I greatly appreciated,but I found it repetitive at timesand I didn’t know where it was all going.I loved the talk of girl love & self love & representation & feminism & rape cultureand of course Rupi Kaur delivers it all in a beautiful choice of wordsbut something was missing for me.something was lacking, somemagicalaspect that I found in milk and honey.but itthe lines of the poems were much longer than milk and honey’s and the poems overall were longer(sometimes too long)which I greatly appreciated,but I found it repetitive at timesand I didn’t know where it was all going.I loved the talk of girl love & self love & representation & feminism & rape cultureand of course Rupi Kaur delivers it all in a beautiful choice of wordsbut something was missing for me.something was lacking, somemagicalaspect that I found in milk and honey.but it was still gorgeously written & so empowering.

i heard no pounding her fiston the roof of my mouthbegging to let her outbut i had not put up the exit signnever built the emergency staircase

I hadn't read Milk and Honey so came to this book with no preconceived expectations. As a big fan of poetry I love to find new poets who inspire me and make me question my own view of the World. I enjoy reading poems that are hard hitting and don't shy away from the brutality of the World today. Rupi's poems in this her second book are written with love and from the heart. The offer a glimpse into the life Rupi has lead and the trials and tribulations she has gone through to get where she is todI hadn't read Milk and Honey so came to this book with no preconceived expectations. As a big fan of poetry I love to find new poets who inspire me and make me question my own view of the World. I enjoy reading poems that are hard hitting and don't shy away from the brutality of the World today. Rupi's poems in this her second book are written with love and from the heart. The offer a glimpse into the life Rupi has lead and the trials and tribulations she has gone through to get where she is today. You get the impression Rupi is still learning how to be a woman and an adult. She's still trying to find her place in the world. I love Rupi's style of poetry. It's simple yet also very beautiful. Rupi illustrates her poems with simplistic drawings that help to get her point across. This latest collection touches on sex, abuse, culture, religion, gender etc. The stand out poem is called Home. This poem is striking and quite frankly amazing. It's worth getting the book just for this poem alone. The use of description within this piece is just outstanding. A truly phenomenal piece of writing. Be warned Home is a brutal poem. It's not a pleasant read but it's a poem I believe every woman should read no matter what their circumstances are. Rupi has the ability to pack a hearty punch even when she is only writing a short poem. She has a clever knack of choosing just the right words to make the biggest impact possible. Reading this book makes you appreciate life. It makes you question the choices you make. It makes you sit up and take notice of subjects you might not normally read about. Rupi isn't afraid to open her heart to the world. This collection was inspiring and energizing. Wonderful reading. ...more

it isn't what we left behind that breaks me it's what we could've built had we stayed.

Grief, self abandoment, the bond between a child and her parents, girl power, and respecting the generations that came before are all themes of the second collection of poetry by Rupi Kaur. Recently I read the poet's debut collection Milk and Honey and I became spell bound by her writing.

this place makes me the kind of exhausted that has nothing to do with sleepand everything to do withthe people around me. it isn't what we left behind that breaks me it's what we could've built had we stayed.

Grief, self abandoment, the bond between a child and her parents, girl power, and respecting the generations that came before are all themes of the second collection of poetry by Rupi Kaur. Recently I read the poet's debut collection Milk and Honey and I became spell bound by her writing.

this place makes me the kind of exhausted that has nothing to do with sleepand everything to do withthe people around me. introvert

“I hear a thousand kind words about me and it makes no difference yet I hear one insult and all confidence shatters - focusing on the negative."

This quote was like a punch in a gut. I felt guilt, shame, and realization when I read it because honestly, I am like that.

Rupi Kaur did it again. Her brutally honest poems stirred up something inside me. A year ago, I read milk and honey and I was quite surprised of how personal, vulgar and relatable it was. But this book? I personally4.25 STARS!!!!

“I hear a thousand kind words about me and it makes no difference yet I hear one insult and all confidence shatters - focusing on the negative."

This quote was like a punch in a gut. I felt guilt, shame, and realization when I read it because honestly, I am like that.

Rupi Kaur did it again. Her brutally honest poems stirred up something inside me. A year ago, I read milk and honey and I was quite surprised of how personal, vulgar and relatable it was. But this book? I personally think it is better.

She wrote poems about these issues and she successfully reached my heart and soul with every poem. I admire how straight- forward she is, with every word she uses; it was so moving and gut wrenching. Her writing is commendable because of how true, vulnerable, fragile, frank, and relatable it is.

Her poems are direct and blunt. The writing style is simple yet gripping. As per the illustration, some of it were easily understood while the others kept me thinking because of the confusing way it was drawn. I personally think that the author wants the readers to conjure what the drawings mean.

I'm excited for her next work, Rupi Kaur is one my favorite poet. No doubt in that......more

Oh. my. God. I enjoyed this way more than Milk and Honey, I loved the writing, the illustrations and the messages in this collection. From heartbreak, to rape, to immigration, to police brutality, this was excellent.

Rupi Kaur is a writer and artist based in Toronto, Canada. With a focus in poetry, she released her first book of prose and poems in November 2014. Throughout her poetry, photography, illustrations, and creative direction she engages with themes of femininity, love, loss, trauma, and healing. When she is not writing or creating art, she is travelling internationally to perform her spoken word poetRupi Kaur is a writer and artist based in Toronto, Canada. With a focus in poetry, she released her first book of prose and poems in November 2014. Throughout her poetry, photography, illustrations, and creative direction she engages with themes of femininity, love, loss, trauma, and healing. When she is not writing or creating art, she is travelling internationally to perform her spoken word poetry, as well as hosting writing workshops. You can find more of her work at www.rupikaur.com...more